Daily Lab: Marketing motivation toolkit

Short summary:

• “Temptation bundling”: Pair activities you dread with ones you enjoy.
• “Find the fun path”: Make your process more enjoyable.
• “Notice the fun”: Pay special attention to the parts of your process you actually like.

According to Ayelet Fishbach in Get It Done, there are three parts to the motivation toolkit:

1) When we want to have done something, but don’t feel like doing it, we can use “temptation bundling.”

So if you want to have written a blog post but don’t actually feel motivated to sit down and write it, bundle it with something you do want to do.

For instance, you could decide that while you’re writing content, you get to sip on your favorite variety of coffee—and you keep it exclusive to your writing time.

2) Instead of asking yourself “What would it take to accomplish this?” ask: “What would it take to enjoy accomplishing this?”

How can you “factor in immediate enjoyment” as Fishbach writes?

You might decide that you’re going to write your blog post in a fun and clever style that’s unique for your industry but especially interesting to you. Or you might make your writing time a shared activity with another team member or friend, building teamwork and cooperation into your writing process.

You still have to get it done, but you can do it while you’re having fun.

3) “Notice the fun that already exists.”

Whereas temptation bundling and finding the fun path require you to do things differently, this only requires you to perceive things differently.

So, find something about writing your content that you do enjoy.

Do you like having time alone to think and create? Do you like doing research? Do you like finding clever turns of phrase? Do you simply like the feeling of getting your ideas out of your head?

Whatever it might be, lean into it and make it the core component of your process.

Because the more fun you have doing your marketing, the more engaging it will be.

You’ll be more consistent, more creative, and more motivated to do it well.

Because you want to.